UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would present different options for a new relationship between Britain and the European Union, leaving room for the possibility of rejoining the bloc after the next general election. According to Sina Finance, Burnham made the remarks on Tuesday in his first speech as prime minister at the Labour Party's annual conference.

He said he would try to build consensus on Britain's needs and explore a more radical way to rebuild ties with the EU. Burnham's spokesman later declined to rule out a pledge to rejoin the EU before the latest possible general election in August 2029.

Burnham told Labour members that the 2016 Brexit referendum left Britain weaker and did not, as supporters had promised, restore control over borders and rule-making. He said Brexit had done more harm than good, adding that Britain had lost some control over its economy, faced a decade of low growth, and lost some control over immigration.

He also confirmed that a UK-EU summit will be held before the end of the year. Burnham said Britain would not take a clear path until it decides what long-term relationship it wants with the EU, which he described as Britain's largest market.

He said he would use the summit to set out different options for a long-term relationship with European partners and see whether consensus can be built around one of them. Burnham and his spokesman did not specify which options would be considered, but they could include rejoining the EU single market, the customs union, or both. Another possible model is Canada's relationship with the EU.